Planning a trip

I had a variety of "soft tissue" pains during PT, but no swelling or pain associated with the MF site (under the kneecap). The therapist told me that the pain was associated with stretching and breaking of scare tissue that had formed in the muscles/tendons around the knee during NWB.

The pain tracked with my PT progress and ROM improvement. Eventually, at 100% ROM it settled down.

Physical Therapy Question- I am about six weeks after surgery and began physical therapy last week, including stationary bike, quad sets and electrical stimulation to the knee. Before the therapy, I was walking good with a cane for stability and had pain only when I was on my feet for too long. The therapy has caused swelling again and pain similar to the more immediate aftermath of surgery. Is this normal? I am committed to the exercises and therapy, but want to make sure I am not doing any harm. My therapist looks like he is about 12 years old and completely ignores my questions about the pain. I think he enjoys inflicting it! Maybe it is normal to have the swelling and pain and just part of the recovery process. If so, I will deal with it. I just need a reality check from those of you who have been there. Thanks!

Just a regular walker, no wheels. I was instructed to do a "toe touch" walk, just touching my toe down on the leg with my bad kneew. I went to the doctor this week and am now just using a cane. I can walk pretty good. I am just using the cane for stability. I get tired and swollen if on my feet too long, but all in all, things are pretty good. I have a little trouble if I try to back up. Makes me feel like I am going to fall over backwards. I think swimming helped me more than anything- both in my knee and in my attitude. Good luck on your surgery.

I had microfracture on the trochlear goove and medial condyle and was NWB for 8 weeks, and in a cpm machine for 6 hours a day for the first 6 weeks. There is no way I could have taken a trip. I am 46, an elementary PE teacher who works out regularly and used to play tennis. Do not push it--I am still recovering and I rehab doing weights or the bike/elliptical trainer 5 days a week. I finally got back on the tennis court this week, but I am paying today and hope I haven't done any damage. I spent 9 months in the pool doing therapy for an hour 5 days a week also, until I started having skin reactions to the chemicals or lack of? My surgeon said the actual procedure is relatively simple (and his partner invented it). It is the recovery that is long and if you don't follow protocol the chances of success are not as good. I only went in with a 50/50 chance since I had rather large defects, but I have done every thing in my power to follow their directions. When someone says you are looking at knee replacement in 5-7 years if this doesn't work, you don't mess around. Just my advice.

Thanks for the info. I am trying to postpone my trip until September to give more time to heal. I am doing well but extremely tired of the walker. Two weeks down, two more to go on the walker. I am a little concerned about my other knee. It is now starting to hurt with all the added pressure. Anybody got any experience or advice about protecting the knee that also has damage, but has not been operated on?

Glad to find this site. Never even heard of microfracture surgery until I woke up from surgery on April 27 to remove loose cartiledge in my knee and found I had three areas of microfracture, one of which is on the weight bearing part of my knee and one on my kneecap Recovery was supposed to be a little limp, no therapy, etc. Instead it is four weeks on a walker, followed by therapy (no time frame specified yet).

The dilemma is I am planning a trip to Greece starting June 4 for two weeks to celebrate my 50th birthday. I have been planning forever and it is a trip I have always dreamed of to ease the pain of the big 50.

I had my follow up visit with my surgeon today and he was not very excited about the idea of the trip right now (even though I told him about it before my surgery!) He says if I absolutely cannot postpone, I can go three weeks on the walker and two weeks of therapy before my trip but this will lessen my chances of success from the surgery.

I have done very well from the surgery, minor swelling and pain, back to work in four days. I am an active swimmer. I do water aerobics three times a week and am released to resume that activity.

Aside from the obvious financial impact of canceling the trip, I do not want to be majorly impaired on the trip of a lifetime. Any thoughts on the quality of life only six weeks from surgery? The impact long term of cutting short the non weight bearing time and skipping two weeks of therapy?

Your help will be greatly appreciated. I have to make a decision soon.

Thanks